October Newsletter

The incredible CZC Runs DISNEY Half Marathon & Marathon Team!

We are SO glad that you are a part of this incredible team!! 

Nothing like this has ever been done before, where a team of Comfort Zone Camp supporters have run a Marathon or Half Marathon together to raise money for CZC.  And what better place to raise $50,000 to send grieving children to CZC than Disney, another amazing place like CZC where kids can be kids again!!

Our amazing team is currently 33-strong and includes CZC volunteers, former campers/now volunteers, camper parents, supporters and staff from Virginia, North Carolina, Washington, DC, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Texas!  We have 6 doing the Full Marathon, 23 doing the Half Marathon, 2 Cheerleaders coming down to Orlando and 2 Cheerleaders cheering us on from home.  Our team has pledged to raise $38,000 and has actually raised $10,077!!  We are well on our way to reaching our fundraising goal of $50,000!!

The Planning Committee is made up of 6 dedicated CZC volunteers from the Washington, D.C. area (Maggie Nick, Matt Nick, Erin Love and Stephanie Lechner) Richmond, VA (Alex Marcelewski) and New Jersey (Maria Cruz).  Please contact any one of us with questions.  We have been working very hard on coordinating this event, including all of the details of transportation and lodging for the team.  Let us know if you have any questions at all or need anything.  We are so very excited about this event!!

LODGING

Each team member can obviously stay wherever they want while in Orlando.  The Planning Committee is making reservations for those interested in staying with the team in houses at the Emerald Island Resort in Orlando, which is located 3 miles from Disney.  We are looking to reserve 2 or more houses (7-bedrooms each, with a 4 or 6-bedroom too if needed) for 5 nights, Thursday, January 6 – Monday, January 10.  We have worked really hard to make this as affordable as possible for all.  

The final figure will depend on the number of people staying together, but the cost to stay with the team will be a standard per-person rate, and should be no more than $135-165 for 5 nights, which is $25-33/person/night.   In addition, each house requires a $500 refundable security deposit, which will be refunded to all and should run no more than $50/person. Until we know the final number, there is no way of giving a definite cost estimate.  Everyone will be responsible for covering their per-person rate, even if you are not staying for all 5 nights.  The Resort includes several pools, a basketball course, etc. Some of the houses offer glassed-in heated pools and hot tubs. 

(The Official Charity lodging rates offered by Disney were reasonable but are much more expensive (2x) than the cost of staying at a resort outside of Disney.  Also, the team would have to reserve a minimum number of rooms (20) to be eligible for the discounted rate, which we will not be able to fulfill). 

Anyone under the age of 21

For liability reasons, we cannot allow anyone under the age of 21 to stay with the team.  You are more than welcome to bring your family to Orlando for the weekend.  If you are planning to bring your family to Orlando, you are responsible for arranging your own lodging in Orlando.  The Planning Committee has done a lot of research on options of where to stay in Orlando and can provide ideas and contact information to you for staying in Emerald Island Resort and elsewhere.    

Transportation while in Orlando

The Planning Committee will be renting at least 2 vans for transportation down to Orlando.  The Emerald Island Resort also offers a Shuttle to Disney.  For logistical reasons, the Planning Committee will only provide transportation to those staying in the houses with the team, and to those staying elsewhere within the Emerald Island Resort.  Details have not yet been determined on the extent to which the vans will be used to transport the team around Disney.   If you are riding down to Orlando via the Road-Trip from Richmond that is being organized by the Planning Committee (see below for more info), you must either stay with the team or somewhere at the Emerald Island Resort, or arrange your own transportation while down in Orlando. 

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* * If you want to stay with the team in Orlando, you must notify the Planning Committee no later than next Wednesday October 13, 2010. 

-Either send an email to CZCrunsDisney@gmail.com. 

 If you would prefer to speak to someone on the Planning Committee on the phone, email us and we will call you (don't want to post our phone numbers online). 

-The Planning Committee will need to put down a significant amount of money to reserve the houses ($1,000 on each house: $500 down payment on rent and a $500 refundable security deposit), as well as pay the balance of the rent 10 weeks out (10/28/10). Therefore we will need your portion of the rent plus your portion of the $500 security deposit (which will be refunded after the race weekend) no later than October 27, 2010. 

-Once you confirm with us that you want to stay with the group, we will send out the cost per person with instructions for payment on October 14 and will need payment by October 27.  

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TRANSPORTATION

The Planning Committee has been working hard to try to secure an airline sponsor for our team.  We have not gotten word one way or the other thus far.  We will keep everyone updated on that, but as of now, the Planning Committee is working on hopefully securing van rental sponsors for the Road-Trip from Richmond to Orlando.  

Road-Trip Details

The Road-Trip will be leaving Richmond on Thursday, January 6 at 6pm, driving through the night and arriving in Orlando mid-morning on Friday, January 7.  We will be leaving Orlando to head back on Monday, January 10 at 6pm, driving through the night and arriving in Richmond mid-morning on Tuesday, January 11. 

Cost

We are still working on sponsors for van rentals.  Our goal is to have the at least one van donated or for someone to make a donation to cover the cost of at least one van.  There will be a per-person charge for gas which will be determined later and will depend on the number of people riding down and the donations made to cover some of the costs.  We cannot provide a cost estimate at the point but we will do everything we can to keep costs to a minimum.  We will provide the Road-Trip folks with a cost estimate as soon as we have one.

Anyone under the age of 21

For liability reasons, we cannot allow any children under the age of 21 to ride down in the rented vans with the team.  However, if any of our team members want to ride down with their family to Orlando, they are welcome to drive down in their own car and caravan with the team.

Important

* As stated above, those riding down with the team on the Road-Trip must either stay with the team in the houses or elsewhere at Emerald Island Resort, or be responsible for your own transportation while in Orland.  And to reiterate, if you want to stay with the team, you must notify the Planning Committee no later than October 13, 2010. *

Setting up your personal fundraising Page

If you have questions about setting up your personal fundraising page or need guidance on how to begin fundraising, please email the Planning Committee at CZCrunsDisney@gmail.com or call Matt Nick at (804) 647-7558.

If you are receiving this email, you have registered with CZC Runs Disney on RaceIt.com.  To set up your fundraising page, click here.

Registering for the RACE

If you have not yet registered for the Disney Marathon or Half Marathon, please click here to register.

THANK YOU

for being a part of this incredible team.

We really are doing something extraordinary here.